The workshop entilted Urban – regional plans and development in the European Union and policy suggestions for Viet Nam was organised by the Viet Nam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS).

Foreign experts said it was crucial for Viet Nam to choose a suitable urban planning pattern based on those of other countries.

The country must learn from the failures and successes of others, they said. According to Associate Professor Dr. Vu Thi Vinh, former General Secretary of the Association of Cities of Viet Nam, traffic congestion in Viet Nam stems from poor infrastructure, inadequate public transportation and more importantly, the lack of a link between land use and urban traffic planning.

She suggested metropolises in Viet Nam integrate urban transport and land use planning towards green transportation.

Combined use of public transport, walking and cycling to make long journeys shorter has become a green approach in many major cities in Europe and North America, she noted.

Associate Professor Dr. Dinh Cong Tuan from the Institute for European Studies said the German system for social change supervision, which monitors regional changes in the demographics, natural environment, politics, economics and culture, was a good option for Viet Nam.

As regional development had both positive and negative social impacts, it was vital for Viet Nam to build its own monitoring system, he added. — VNS